Most people know of Jackson Hole, Wyoming because of its beautiful, natural surroundings and wildlife. The valley boasts breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains, acres of wilderness and national parks, and its abundant wild buffalo and elk. The addition of dude ranches, rustic campsites, and ski resorts makes Jackson Hole the ideal vacation spot and an outdoors-lover’s dream.
What most people don’t know is that some of the most hard-working and resilient alpine botanicals can be found in the mountains of Jackson Hole. These naturally supercharged botanicals have been conditioned for thousands of years to survive in an unforgiving and harsh environment. But they’ve somehow found a way to adapt and flourish in an area at a high altitude with low humidity, little oxygen, intense sun, and heavy snowfall! Never before did someone think to bottle up all of this potent plant goodness until now.
Kendra Butler, a former Manhattanite and 15-year beauty industry veteran, is the founder and creator behind Alpyn Beauty. Alpyn Beauty is a sustainably-sourced natural skincare line that harnesses the wildcrafted and hand-cultivated alpine botanicals grown in the mountains of Jackson Hole. The entire line is formulated with their proprietary ingredient complex, PlantGenius, that is packed with these powerful plants and botanicals. Alpyn Beauty drew their inspiration from the region’s renowned “alpenglow,” which is the ethereal pink light that is cast at sunrise and sunset in Jackson Hole. This magical pink light illuminates the mountaintops, meadows, valleys, and forests where these ingredients grow and also lends itself to the pink hue of Alpyn Beauty’s products.
Alpyn Beauty currently has three products in their collection: their PlantGenius Creamy Bubbling Cleanser, PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer, PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Cream; and will be launching their fourth product (the PlantGenius Survival Serum) in January 2019. I’ve been testing out these products for the past few weeks, and let me tell you, it didn’t take me long to fall hard for this brand. Their formulas are so luxurious and effective and their products are such a delight to use!
First up, is the PlantGenius Creamy Bubbling Cleanser, which in my opinion, is like the perfect cleanser. It’s antioxidant-rich and even exfoliates as it contains some fruit extracts, and glycolic and lactic acids. The face wash also includes natural hydrators like linoleic acid and ceramides and some wild actives provide the skin with essential vitamins. More on the key ingredients and benefits:
- Gentle exfoliants: papaya fruit extract, pomegranate fruit ferment extract, glycolic and lactic acids to refine skin texture, eliminating dead surface cells, dirt, and grime as it cleanses
- Humectants: hyaluronic acid, ceramides and linoleic acid to maintain the moisture barrier, ensuring skin feels nourished and soft
- Potent antioxidant: Vitamin C to protect against free radical damage
The Creamy Bubbling Cleanser has a pretty pink, pearlescent hue and smells of bright and energizing citrus. It is creamy (almost mousse-like), lightweight, and foams and bubbles nicely. It takes off the day’s dirt and grime exceptionally well, but I would recommend doing a double cleanse (and use this as a second cleanse) if you have stubborn makeup that’s hard to get off. It rinses off easily without stripping the skin and leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and silky. It cleanses, exfoliates, and softens. What more could you want? This may be my new favorite facial cleanser, yet!
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Ferment Extract, Polyacrylate-33, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Linoleic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana (Arnica) Flower Extract, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Ceramide NG, Alcohol
The PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer is superb! The first thing you’ll notice is its light pink color and texture — it literally looks like strawberry yogurt and the fat girl in me wants to eat it every time, lol! I would have to say that the texture is very similar to yogurt and is lightweight and bouncy. I don’t really detect much of a scent — it just has a pleasing light botanical scent to me. Unsurprisingly, the Melt Moisturizer is formulated with some incredible ingredients. In addition to their proprietary PlantGenius Complex, the Moisturizer also includes:
- A sophisticated cocktail of natural hydrators: hyaluronic acid, ceramides, olive fruit oil, linoleic acid, coconut (non-pore clogging), apricot kernel oil, squalane to fortify, maintain, and repair skin moisture barrier
- Antioxidants: Vitamin C, centella asiatica to brighten and provide protection from free radical damage
- Bakuchiol (a non-irritating bioavailable retinol) and Tripeptide-29 to encourage collagen production and diminish the appearance of fine lines
- Glycolic acid to gently exfoliate and promote cell turnover
- Aloe for its soothing properties
So good, right? I use this both day and night and find it insanely hydrating. It melts instantly on contact with freshly cleansed skin, but I find that if I use this after a mist, serum or oil, it does tend to pill a bit. When that happens, I continue to massage it into my skin until it’s fully absorbed (it takes like five seconds or so) and I’m left with silky, velvety skin — I love that it’s not greasy at all! I love using this the most after I apply a face oil — my skin feels so pillowy-soft, and firm. I honestly can’t stop feeling my face after I use the Moisturizer! With continuous use my skin does appear smoother and some of my fine lines have diminished. I also find that the Moisturizer works exceptionally well as a primer for makeup. As I mentioned above, the Melt Moisturizer is super-hydrating and should be sufficient for even dry skin types. I know I’ll be reaching for this Moisturizer a lot during the colder months!
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Alcohol, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice*, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Diheptyl Succinate, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Stearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Squalane, Tripeptide-29, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glycolic Acid, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Sorbate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Maltodextrin, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Ceramide NG, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin Ci, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana (Arnica) Flower Extract, Baraga Officinalis (Borage) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil *Certified Organic
The third and final product in Alpyn Beauty’s collection is their PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm. The Eye Balm is almost like a thick cream / balm hybrid and has a soft, cushiony texture. The color is milky-white with a very slight tinge of pink. Like the Melt Moisturizer, the scent is really light and virtually undetectable — it smells sweet and almost floral-like. The Eye Balm shares a lot of the same great ingredients as the Melt Moisturizer but it does include some other great ones. In addition to their PlantGenius Complex, the Eye Balm also includes these key ingredients:
- A plant-powered cocktail of natural brighteners: Eyebright, bearberry leaf extract, licorice root extract, Vitamin C to diminish the appearance of dark circles
- Algae to tighten and lift
- Mica blurs imperfections and fills in fine lines
- Caffeine stimulates circulation and reduces puffiness
- Fine line fighters: Bakuchiol (a non-irritating bioavailable retinol) and Tripeptide-29 encourages collagen production
- Heavy-hitting antioxidants: healing centella asiatica, anti- inflammatory sunflower seed oil, rich in Vitamin E, to nurture skin and protect against free radical damage
- Natural hydrators: hyaluronic acid, squalane, coconut, linoleic acid, ceramides (non-pore clogging and will not cause milia)
As the last step in my AM and PM routine, I dab a small amount of the Eye Balm all around my eye with my index finger. Again, like the Melt Moisturizer, it does pill a bit, but I keep dabbing gently until it’s fully absorbed. (I did try applying the Eye Balm to freshly cleansed skin and found that it absorbed pretty quickly.) I love how moisturizing it is and how smooth my eye area is after I use this. I also see a difference in terms of puffiness and brightness in my under-eye area, but unfortunately, I can’t talk to what it does for fine lines. I’m lucky to not have fine lines around my eyes (don’t worry, I have a slew of other skin issues, lol), but I imagine that it could help with that, too. Alpyn Beauty does call their Eye Balm “magic” after all!
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Bakuchiol, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Xanthan Gum, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Stearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Linoleic Acid, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caffeine, Tripeptide-29, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Tin Oxide, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract•, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil•, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi (Bearberry) Leaf Extract•, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ceramide NG, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana (Arnica) Flower Extract, Baraga Officinalis (Borage) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract. * Certified Organic
Final Thoughts
I have been really loving this brand! I feel like Alpyn Beauty offers something unique and different from other brands that I’ve tried, and it’s not often that you will find an entire line that is non-oil based. I’m excited to see what other products they come out with in the future and I can’t wait till their PlantGenius Survival Serum comes out in January!
The PlantGenius Creamy Bubbling Cleanser, PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer, and PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm retails for (in US Dollars) $36, $60, and $62, respectively, and can be purchased directly from Alpyn Beauty.
Disclaimer
The Alpyn Beauty products were kindly provided for consideration, however all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains no affiliate links or codes.
